by Thinus Ferreira
The Muvhango creator Duma ka Ndlovu will be back in court on Wednesday 11 November in his R26 million tax fraud case.
The TV producer is set to appear in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court, where he is facing 18 charges together over tax fraud with the registered tax practitioner Rodney Mutsharini and the unregistered tax practitioner Maxwell Mloyi.
All three were arrested on 30 September 2024 following an investigation by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Duma Ndlovu was granted bail of R100 000 while Rodney Mutsharini and Maxwell Mloyi were granted bail of R50 000 each.
A possible starting date for the court trial will likely be set.
Duma ka Ndlovu's Kanoboya Consulting, previously trading as Ambrobite, allegedly got payments from Bain & Company, an international consultancy firm, for work done during 2013 and 2017.
The state alleges Ndlovu and Mloyi falsely declared the company dormant, while Ndlovu and Mutsharini allegedly misrepresented Personal Income Tax filings from 2016 to 2019 and omitted 2021 entirely, leading to an estimated R26 million loss.
The investigation traces back to recommendations from the Nugent Commission of Inquiry, which probed procurement irregularities tied to Bain & Company during the State Capture era.
Ndlovu and his legal team adamantly deny the charges, dismissing the prosecution as a "baseless witch hunt" and arguing he was unlawfully arrested before investigations concluded.
The legal battle has severely impacted Ndlovu's television footprint who was the producer of South African shows like Muvhango that the South African public broadcaster dumped after decades in 2024, and Queen Modjadji on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) that ran for a single season.
Wednesday's court date will signal whether a formal, career-defining trial is imminent.
